"Moderate Bend on front cover" Messages in this topic - RSS

Itosukai
Itosukai
Posts: 25

12/16/2016

Itosukai
Itosukai
Posts: 25
I sent a beautiful looking Spider-man #300 to CGC. Packed it like they show you too, plus extra cardboard to prevent bending. There were a few light creases on the top right corner, the rest of the cover looked beautiful.
Grading done in good time but it came back a 7.0 ... Grading notes stated: light creasing and moderate bend on front cover.

First, there was no 'bend' in that comic when I sent it. It was packaged properly, had a 'Do Not Bend' sticker on it. Beautiful white pages, sharp corners, no spine roll, nothing missing, staples tight and rust free. 4 comic shop owners knowing a thing or 4 about grading, all guessed 9 or higher.

My questions are: Are light creases enough to drop a book's grade that much alone? Would a bend not need to crease the cover to be a problem?
I could never prove wether it was the USPS or Canada Post that bent my comic package that badly. Now that it's slabbed, I may not even see this "bend" CGC was talking about, or would I?

Thanks
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Oxbladder
Oxbladder
Posts: 487

12/17/2016

Oxbladder
Oxbladder
Posts: 487
To answer your questions yes enough light creases can drop the grade that much and no a bend does not have to crease the cover. As for seeing the bend while slabbed, that depends. Sometimes you can sometimes you can't.
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Gilgandra
Gilgandra
Posts: 1246

12/17/2016

Gilgandra
Gilgandra
Posts: 1246
I've got books that you can only see a bend/crease in the right light. Front on they look great.
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Itosukai
Itosukai
Posts: 25

12/22/2016

Itosukai
Itosukai
Posts: 25
Got that comic back today. Yep, can, in the right light, just see a short bend (not quite a crease) on the cover. The light creases on the top right corner are also minute and barely visible.
Dang it anyways. heh
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Oxbladder
Oxbladder
Posts: 487

12/23/2016

Oxbladder
Oxbladder
Posts: 487
Just so folks know, corners can really mean a lot to the grade. Sharp corners can really help a book especially in the 9's
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Itosukai
Itosukai
Posts: 25

1/7/2017

Itosukai
Itosukai
Posts: 25
Would blunt corners on an older silver age comic not decrease the grade as much, than blunt corners on a modern age?

I saw an 8.5 silver age book with, even in a picture, obvious blunted corners and creases at the staples, whereas my modern age book with barely visible bend and slight creases near a corner, garnered only a 7.0.
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Oxbladder
Oxbladder
Posts: 487

1/9/2017

Oxbladder
Oxbladder
Posts: 487
They should but all the grading companies grade on a curve. There are many defects that are more common on older books that tend to not have as much weight attributed to them. For example, bindery corners on the thicker golden age books.

For the record, I don't believe in the practice but accept that it is an necessary evil. Printing has changed a lot over the years and now near perfect condition is common whereas in days gone by it was far different and perfect condition was sometimes not attained.
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adampasz
adampasz
Posts: 9

1/9/2017

adampasz
adampasz
Posts: 9
It also depends a lot whether the crease "breaks color". That is, at the location of the crease, is there ink missing? Any book with a color-breaking crease that is 3/4" or more will have probably not grade over 7.5.

Regarding whether the post office messed up your package.. this is always a risk. I wouldn't expect them to pay much attention to a Do Not Bend sticker. upset
If your comics are worth a lot to you, package extremely carefully, with lots of cardboard support. Take pictures before you ship. Assume the worst!

Another thing, when I first started getting books graded -- sometimes I didn't notice obvious defects ahead of time. Now I feel more confident, and I'm also more careful about what I submit. You should treat your initial submissions as a learning experience.
edited by adampasz on 1/9/2017
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Itosukai
Itosukai
Posts: 25

1/15/2017

Itosukai
Itosukai
Posts: 25
Thank you guys for the words of wisdom. I definitely have learned from this initial submission. I did end up having to send it back for reholdering as they allowed a triangular piece of plastic to get inside. They are doing this gratis of course, but a bit of a pain nonetheless.

BTW adampasz, none of the light creases in the cover "broke color" at all, luckily.

Sending a package across the border also ensures a lot more handling will occur as well. I'm one to over do something (ie. packaging) so I know the package was as secure as I could reasonably make it.

I am googling (images) of different examples of comics at various grades to try and get a better handle on noticing things. If I had noted that tiny light creases affected grade as much, I may not have sent it in for grading. I ended up "breaking even" as to guide value to cost of grading. Shipping and conversion to CAD drove it up considerably.

30 years of collecting, but so much to learn in this aspect. Thanks again !!
edited by itosukai on 1/15/2017
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Defiant1
Defiant1
Posts: 720

1/15/2017

Defiant1
Defiant1
Posts: 720
As a quality inspector who inspects incoming material for a large electrical/electronics manufacturing company, I don't know if it's possible to "over do" protective packaging. I've pretty much quit buying comics online because so many people don't know how to protect them. For some reason, individuals who ship things are unaware that delivery companies literally throw their packages and let them impact hard surfaces like a concrete floor. They stack 70lb boxes on your package and are only concerned with getting their job done as quickly as possible. A "Fragile" label on the box means nothing to them.

Defiant1 - http://comics.vforums.co.uk/
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Defiant1
Defiant1
Posts: 720

1/15/2017

Defiant1
Defiant1
Posts: 720
As a quality inspector who inspects incoming material for a large electrical/electronics manufacturing company, I don't know if it's possible to "over do" protective packaging. I've pretty much quit buying comics online because so many people don't know how to protect them. For some reason, individuals who ship things are unaware that delivery companies literally throw their packages and let them impact hard surfaces like a concrete floor. They stack 70lb boxes on your package and are only concerned with getting their job done as quickly as possible. A "Fragile" label on the box means nothing to them.

Defiant1 - http://comics.vforums.co.uk/
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